Is Wi-Fi Killing Trees?

The health-damaging effects of wireless technology has been a hotly debated topic in scientific circles for years now. Linked with increased stress, brain fog, insomnia, cancer, lower sperm count, Alzheimer’s Disease, behavioral issues and developmental delays, many are questioning the daily use of Wi-Fi, cellphones, tablets, smart meters and other modern ‘necessities.’

For anyone who has first hand experience with electromagnetic sensitivity triggered by these devices, there is little doubt of their negative effect on health, mental clarity and overall well-being. Regrettably, humans aren’t the only ones negatively affected by wireless technology. Researchers in the Netherlands have found electromagnetic pollution can also harm trees.

Silent Damage

When officials in the Dutch city of Alphen aan den Rijn noticed malformations in local trees, they began to question the cause. After viral and bacterial infections were ruled out, researchers turned their attention to studying the effects of radio magnetic radiation on plant life.

According to a study by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Wi-Fi signals could very well be responsible for the diseased trees, which exhibited bark tears, bleeding and leaves prematurely dying.

The team set out to test their hypothesis by exposing 20 ash trees to varying types of radiation over a period of three months. Trees with closest proximity to Wi-Fi networks suffered from telltale indicators of radiation sickness, including a “lead-like shine” on their leaves, which is caused by the deterioration of outer-cell layers — leading to premature death of the foliage.

The Los Angeles Times reports, “About 70% of all trees in the Netherlands’ urban areas show the same symptoms, compared with only 10% five years ago, the study found.”

The findings aren’t surprising, considering the explosion of Wi-Fi availability and use over the last few years.

The researchers stressed that these tree abnormalities aren’t isolated to the Netherlands — it’s an issue throughout the Western world. And trees in rural or non-urban locations don’t appear to suffer from the same unhealthy fate as their city-dwelling brethren.

After the study was widely circulated by media outlets, enormous backlash prompted the Dutch Antennae Agency to issue the following statement:

“The researcher from Wageningen University indicates that these are initial results and that has not been confirmed in a repeat survey. He warns strongly that there is still no far-reaching conclusions from its results. Based on the information now available, it cannot be concluded that the Wi-Fi radio signals leads to damage to trees or other plants.”

It should be noted the Dutch Antenna Agency “… is a department of Radio communications Agency Netherlands. This is a specialized agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. It has three main tasks: obtain, allocate and protect frequency space.” [Source]

Regardless of the agency’s motivation, it’s not easy to brush aside the findings of the study, especially since other researches have also found Wi-Fi signals harm plant life.

Composed by artist Nickolay Lamm, this is what our cities would look like if WiFi and Cell phone signals were was visible to the human eye.

Wi-Fi and Nature — An Unhealthy Mix

Katie Singer is involved with public policy at the Electromagnetic Radiation Policy Institute, an organization dedicated to fostering a better understanding of the environmental and human biological effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation, as well as extremely low frequencies (ELF) found in power line supplies.
Singer is especially concerned about the effect radio frequency has on our natural environment. She writes in An Electronic Silent Spring:

“In a 2010 paper published in the International Journal of Forestry Research, researcher Katie Haggerty explained that the Earth’s natural radio frequency environment has remained about the same within the lifespan of modern trees. “Before 1800,” Haggerty wrote, “the major components of this environment were broadband radio noise from space (galactic noise), from lightning (atmospheric noise), and a smaller RF component from the sun. …Plants may have evolved” to use these environmental signals, along with visible light in order to regulate their periodic functions. Therefore, they may be sensitive to man-made RF fields. “The background of RF pollution,” Haggerty continued, “is now many times stronger than the naturally occurring RF environment. From the perspective of evolutionary time, the change can be considered sudden and dramatic. …Growth rates of plants and fungi can be increased or decreased by RF exposure. Exposure to RF signals can induce plants to produce more meristems, affect root cell structure, and induce stress response…causing biochemical changes.
Ms. Haggerty went on to describe her study of the influence of RF signals on trembling aspen seedlings. Seedlings that were shielded in a Faraday cage (a metal container that prevents RF radiation from entering) thrived. Seedlings that were exposed to RF signals showed necrotic lesions and abnormal coloring in their leaves.”

Moreover, Singer points out that British biologist Dr. Andrew Goldsworthy is alarmed by the increase in mysterious tree deaths occurring throughout urban areas across Europe. “They also show abnormal photoperiodic responses. Many have cancer-like growths under the bark (phloem nodules). The bark may also split so that the underlying tissues become infected. All of these can be explained as a result of exposure to weak RF fields from mobile phones, their base stations, Wi-Fi and similar sources of weak non-ionizing radiation,” he said. [Source]

If trees are adversely effected by electromagnetic pollution, we need to seriously question how humans and animals can be negatively impacted as well.

If you would like to learn more about the dark underbelly of wireless technology — and what to do about it — visit BioInitiative 2012 and Dr. Mercola.